


Castle Glitch

by YukiSetsu



Series: 12 Days of (Lance) Whumpmas [9]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Broken Bones, Bruises, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, crystal venom episode inspired, sorry lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 11:18:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiSetsu/pseuds/YukiSetsu
Summary: When a bug from Pidge's laptop accidentally infects the Castle, Lance ends up having to face an extreme gladiator bot without a weapon and armor. As expected, things get dangerous really quick.





	Castle Glitch

**Author's Note:**

> yay for broken limbs but i also broke.. other bones… :’) 
> 
> Crystal Venom is actually one of the few episodes i’ve seen from season 1 and it was GREAT… which is where this story came from yay for glitchy Castle that turns evil

Lance didn't usually train on his own. The team had plenty of group training exercises to cover for most practices, and he preferred winding down in his room after long days. But sometimes, he found himself on the training deck for private sessions. He still needed to carry his weight as a Paladin, after all.

Today, it was target practice. Mostly just shooting at moving gladiator bots before they got too close. He figured it wouldn't be a long session, opting to just take his hoodie off and shoot instead of having to change into his armor completely. Even still, he kept steady throughout, occasionally dodging a gladiator that dove forward to strike as he felled one after another. Seeing the hole open up and swallow each bot that he struck accurately brought a nice sense of satisfaction. He kept at it for two or three levels before he grew exhausted, his arms sore from staying in the same position for so long.

“Ugh. End training sequence.” Lance groaned, dematerializing his bayard and relaxing his arms once the last bot disappeared. He was probably done for the day. Might as well duck out before he risked running into Keith here. That guy was obsessed with the training deck.

Lance headed towards the doors, bending to grab his hoodie and shrug it on. But then he heard a slight thud behind him, and Lance turned around to catch a gladiator bot marching towards him, sword at the ready. He barely had time to dodge the bot's broad swing, tripping backwards onto the floor as his bayard clattered out of his hands.

“What the—” Lance scrambled to his feet, ducking from another attack. “Uh, hello?! I said end training sequence!”

The bot didn't shut down like it should've, instead charging once more, its gem an ominous red. Lance yelped, running for the doors and into the hallway, the bot close behind. Crap, he never picked up his bayard. How the heck was he supposed to fight an armed bot with his bare hands? He was pretty sure only Shiro could manage that on his own.

“Guys, need a little help here!” Lance shouted, running down the hallways in a full sprint. He chanced a glance behind his shoulder, spotting the bot just a few feet behind. “Castle's trying to kill me again!”

Seriously, where was everyone? More importantly, it was getting obvious that Lance wasn't gonna be able to outrun this thing. Maybe if he could just get rid of the sword... He'd have a better chance of not dying.

Lance skid to a stop, turning around and sidestepping the sword as it swung into an arc down at the ground where he previously stood. The swing was so powerful that Lance felt it from the wind that whisked by his face. Jesus, it wasn't holding back _at all_.

He didn't hesitate in lashing out a powerful kick at the bot's hands in the hopes of loosening its grip on the sword. It only managed to get one hand off before the bot swung the freed arm up. Lance got his hands up in front of his face in time to block the blow, his arms stinging as he stumbled back with a gasp.

There wasn't any time to recuperate, and Lance caught the swing of the sword again, ducking his body down enough to prevent himself from getting sliced in half. One more time. He waited until the bot stepped too close again, baiting it into swinging its sword back down. It was a simple feint, and Lance was ready enough to dive backwards in time to catch the sword slam its blade onto the floor in front of him. He twisted around, putting even more strength into his kick as he did so. This time, he was successful in kicking the sword out of the bot's hand, and it clattered against the wall before dropping onto the ground.

But before he could even consider trying to make a grab for it, the bot dove forward with a speed that was way beyond the typical gladiator bot he'd been fighting. A sudden force—the gladiator's arm, it turned out—slammed against his chest and sent him crashing into the wall. For a second, Lance's vision went completely white before he felt himself hit the floor.

Lance crumpled onto his side with a cry, trying—and failing—to take a deep breath. He couldn't, it hurt to even get out a shallow breath, let alone a deep one. His vision swam, shapes and figures still trying to reorient themselves in his mind. Maybe he got lucky that he landed not too far from where the sword fell. He reached out an arm, ignoring the way his body screamed at the movement. But before he could get any closer, a foot slammed down on his arm, and Lance could literally hear the bones crack at the force. He definitely screamed this time, the sound ripping its way out of his throat. It hurt, _shit_ , it hurt so much. Black creeped at the edges of his vision, and he was desperate to just fall unconscious at this point.

The floor rumbled, and Lance distantly heard someone yelling before the gladiator disappeared, tackled to the ground by a large figure. Lance couldn't tell who it was, but all that mattered was that someone came. The ground vibrated with slams and heavy footfalls of a fight he couldn't see, and Lance groaned at the slight waves of pain even that sent through his body. His hands lay loose in front of him, trembling every time he tried to move his unbroken arm towards his chest to assess the damage. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, it was so hard to breathe.

And all of a sudden, the vibrations stopped. Lance didn't have to wonder who won for too long, because the next thing he knew, Hunk was in front of him, a hand grabbing at his shoulder. Lance choked out a scream, and Hunk's hand disappeared in an instant, his voice slowly starting to trickle back into Lance's ears.

“—nce, what happened?! I heard your screaming and—Wait no, that's not important right now.” Hunk rambled, hands floating helplessly in front of him. “Quiznak, your arm... Are you injured anywhere else? Talk to me, buddy.”

“My chest,” Lance gasped, trying to focus on Hunk's face. “I think my ribs...”

Hunk paled. “Your ribs? Oh God... Can I check your chest real quick? Let me see where.”

Lance couldn't manage a reply, but Hunk reached out anyways, gently pressing his fingers against Lance's front. When he grazed on an area slightly lower, a strangled cry forced its way out of Lance's mouth, and Hunk's hand disappeared as he apologized repeatedly.

“Crap, I'm so sorry, I just... God, it's already bruised pretty badly, too.” Hunk glanced down the hall before he ducked towards Lance, gripping at his uninjured hand. “I'm gonna go get Coran. We need to get you in a pod fast. Can you hang on for just a few more ticks?”

Lance stiffened in alarm, his mind going hazy with pain at the movement. “W-wait, don't leave...”

“I'll be right back.” Hunk added, frantic. “I'll send the others to where you are before going to Coran. I promise. You need to get help right away. I'm sorry.” Hunk squeezed Lance's hand tightly one more time before he ran off.

He wasn't being abandoned, but Lance still felt terrified of being left alone in the hallway. What if another bot activated and came across him? What if someone didn't come in time? His chest throbbed, and Lance bit back a sob. It hurt so much.

And then the ship shuddered, the lights in the hall flickering and dimming for a few seconds before it went back to normal. Lance felt his already short breaths quicken at the sight, panic blinding him. Something was wrong with the Castle. There had to be. He tried to sit up again, almost blacking out at the strain.

“Lance!” Someone was yelling his name, and Lance slid open his eyes again. Shiro flew into his line of vision, crouching down in an instant. “Hang on, Hunk and Coran are coming.”

To be honest, it was a relief to see Shiro after the paranoia he was going through. Lance tried to shudder in another deep breath, a whimper escaping when he couldn't quite make it again. “The Castle... Something's...”

Shiro lifted a hand, gently carding his fingers through Lance's sweaty hair. “I know. There was a glitch from a bug that got through Pidge's laptop and it messed with some of the systems. She rebooted some of the Castle mechanisms just now so that she could fix it.”

So that was what happened earlier, with the flickering lights. If it was fixed, Lance was glad.

Shiro glanced briefly at where the gladiator must have fallen, a dark expression on his face. He looked back at Lance. “Hunk told me you might have broken ribs,” Shiro said, wincing. “Can you try taking in a deep breath? You might get a chest infection at this rate.”

“I—I can't... Shiro...”

“It hurts, I know. They'll be here soon. You'll be okay, I promise.”

The floor rumbled with footsteps again, and Keith appeared behind Shiro, panting. “They're not here yet?”

Shiro glanced up. “No. Don't worry, they're coming.”

“His arm looks... What about his ribs? How bad is it?” Keith pressed, staring at Lance in a way that was so concerned it was almost unbelievable. “What if it punctured something, like his lung...”

“Gee, thanks.” Lance managed between gasps. “So comforting.”

Keith had the decency to look guilty at that, shifting his weight impatiently from one foot to another. “Sorry. You're gonna be fine.”

Lance wanted to laugh, but he was pretty sure he'd actually faint if he did. Pain thrummed in his chest and he shut his eyes again, doing everything he could to prevent himself from making a noise. It worked, but it was exhausting. When he opened his eyes again, Shiro was busy staring at him with thinly veiled worry while Keith paced in the back.

“What's taking them so long?” Keith grumbled.

Shiro shifted his hand from Lance's hair and moved to wipe away some stray tears instead. “Hang in there. You're doing so well. We'll get you healed up in no time.”

Lance couldn't do anything more than lay there, his body trembling with both pain and exhaustion. He was glad to feel the floor vibrate again with footsteps this time, Hunk and Coran's voice booming down the hallways. Shiro moved aside for them as Hunk apologized to Lance for taking so long. They had trouble finding something similar to stretcher to carry him on. But everything would be fine now, because they'd get him into a pod ASAP.

The struggle to get Lance onto the stretcher with as little movement as possible was agonizing, and the shaky ride to the medical bay wasn't great, either. But the thought that he could close his eyes soon and let the pain fade away once he got into the pod was what kept him going. And once he felt the familiar cold creeping up his body, Lance let sleep take him.

 

* * *

 

When Lance stumbled out of the pod, he was surprised at the thin build of whoever caught him. Definitely not Hunk. Or Shiro. Not even Keith. His eyes blinked open, more than a little surprised to see Allura holding him up. He backed up a bit too quickly, staggering as Allura helped steady him.

“Do you feel alright?” Allura asked, eyes wide with concern.

Lance pondered the question, trying for a deep breath. His lungs stretched to their full capacity, and he relaxed at the sensation. His arm was moving fine. Nothing hurt this time, which felt unreal given the pain he'd been feeling not too long ago. He glanced up at Allura, a slight grin on his face.

“No offense, Princess, but I think your Castle has it out for me. This is like—what—the third time it's tried to kill me?”

Allura frowned, guilty. “Lance, I'm so sor—”

Lance's eyes widened, and he lifted his hand, waving it quickly. “No, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything! My terrible CQC skills are to blame. It was a joke, honestly.”

Someone enveloped him into a hug, and Lance inhaled a mouthful of Hunk's clothing before he was released. “You almost dying isn't a joke, dude.” Hunk moaned. “It scared the heck out of me and everyone else.”

Lance felt someone else burrow into his side with a hug, and he looked down to spot the top of Pidge's head.

“It was my stupid fault you got hurt.” Pidge said, words muffled against his hoodie. “I'm sorry. I should've paid more attention when I was transferring stuff from my laptop.”

Lance grinned, ruffling her hair. “Aw, you do care. I'm all fine now, honestly! It's okay.”

Pidge didn't budge; if anything, she squeezed him harder. Lance coughed awkwardly, the somber atmosphere starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. “Seriously, you guys are acting like I actually died or something. How about we go to the kitchen and talk about something fun while I eat? Because I'm starving and would like for everyone to go to sleep on a happy note.”

“You truly feel all better?” Coran piped up, a worried crease in his eyebrows.

Lance blew out a breath. “I swear I am. Heck, I bet I could spar with Keith right now and take him down one-handed.”

Keith rose an eyebrow from where he stood a few feet away, arms crossed. “Seriously? _You_?”

Shiro finally cracked a grin, gently extracting Pidge from Lance's side (she still opted to walk closely next to him though, like a protective puppy—Lance found it adorable) and leading him towards the doors. “I think we've had enough sparring for today. Let's get you something to eat.”

Lance laughed. “Whatever you say, bossman.”

When Lance finally got into bed after his late night snack, it was with a relieved sigh. This day was something he was glad to get over with. He probably wouldn't be doing another solo training session for a while, though.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to those who celebrate and Happy Holidays! i hope everyone stays warm and can relax as this year comes to an end ^^ please stay safe!


End file.
